Well, that’s not exactly true. He wants a green jacket. Wants to be a major champion. Wants to put to rest, once and for all, all those misconceptions about what he can and can’t do on a weekend when the pressure is at its greatest.

But he can’t do all of that, can’t do any of that, without first giving himself a chance.

“I knew that today was a big day and it was a big part of making this a tournament for myself and (caddie Joe Skovron) or taking ourselves out of it,” Fowler said after shooting a bogey-free 65 on Saturday that tied the low round of the week.

“If I didn't put together a good round of golf, then we weren't going to have a shot,” he said. “I think we took care of what we needed to take care of, and tomorrow's a chance for us go do something pretty cool.”

Fowler is at 9-under, five strokes behind Patrick Reed and two behind Rory McIlroy. It’s a big gap, and Fowler could play another near-perfect round and still come up short.

But given some of the head-shaking, mind-blowing, did-that-really-just-happen? turns of events there have been on Sunday at Augusta National – Jordan Spieth’s splash and McIlroy’s detour through the Eisenhower Cabin, to say nothing of Greg Norman’s collapse and Arnold Palmer’s ill-timed handshake – Fowler is by no means out of it.

“We're definitely in the golf tournament,” he said. “I'm going to need to play the front nine well tomorrow and put myself really in the mix for when this golf tournament starts, which is the final nine holes.”

Fowler is in the same spot he was going into the final round last year, yet he’s in a much different place.

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Now 29, Fowler has been considered one of golf’s young guns for what seems like forever. But while McIlroy and Jason Day and now Spieth and Justin Thomas are major champions, Fowler in many ways is still looking to make his mark.

Oh, he’s won big tournaments before, claiming The Players Championship in 2015 and the star-studded Honda Classic last year, and was part of the U.S. Ryder Cup team that triumphed at Hazeltine in 2016. But he has yet to break through in a major; in 2014, he became the first player to finish top five or better at all four majors without winning one.

If last year’s Masters taught him anything, however, it’s that there’s a fine line between being opportunistic and being too aggressive, and only experience can show you where it is.

“At times I may have gotten maybe too defensive or too aggressive, and, you know, you learn from that and move on,” said Fowler, who would finish in a tie for 11th after bogeys on five of his last seven holes.

It has been clear all week that Fowler took to heart the lessons from last year. He was steady in his first two rounds, taking birdies when they came and making sure not to compound one bad hole with another.

On Saturday, when his putter finally began warming up, Fowler made his move. He curled in a 25-footer for eagle on No. 2, and made birdies at Nos. 5, 6, 8, 15 and 17.

Just as big were his par saves on 11 and 13, where he got within five feet of the pin after putting his second shot in the water.

“A big part of it has just been the way my caddie and I, Joe, we've just been … going through the full process, not getting too quick, and making sure we're staying patient and making sure that I'm ready to commit and hit each shot,” Fowler said. “And if I make a bad swing, it's deal with the consequences and move on.

“I'm definitely playing this golf course the best I have — ever — as far as how comfortable I am on each and every hole, playing all the holes well,” Fowler said a little bit later. “Definitely I think I'm hitting a lot more greens than I've ever hit here, and probably driving it the best I have here.”

He’s right. His statistics for greens and fairways hit in regulation are well above any other year, and his driving distance is higher, too.

But the only number that matters will be the score he puts up Sunday afternoon.

Fowler has had a front-row seat as good friends Spieth and Bubba Watson became Masters champions. He’s seen how it’s changed how people perceive them, and the impact it’s had on them both personally and professionally.

He doesn’t think it would change him, “other than having a green jacket I'd be able to wear around every once in a while for a year and then wear it back here.”

Webb Simpson reacts after holing his shot from the fairway for an eagle on the seventh hole during the final round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 8. He also made eagle on the eighth. Andrew Redington, Getty Images

Workers put up the score of Tiger Woods along the 2nd green during the third round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Michael Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

Tiger Woods reacts after putting on the 7th green during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6. He made a great putt for par. Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

Marc Leishman walks to the 18th green during the second round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. He's 7-under after two rounds and in second place. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Reed of the United States plays his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6. He was the leader through 36 holes. Patrick Smith, Getty Images

Gary Player greets Jack Nicklaus after hitting their ceremonial tee shots on the 1st hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Tiger Woods lines up a putt on the second green as a gallery of patrons look on during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5. Andrew Redington, Getty Images

Jason Day of Australia talks with a patron after his shot landed in the patron's beverage during the first round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 5. Patrick Smith, Getty Images

Vijay Singh reacts after his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. He was on the leaderboard early after he made three birdies in the first four holes. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Sergio Garcia hits the ball into the water on the 15th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. He needed 13 strokes on the par-5 hole. Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Sergio Garcia is greeted by his wife Angela Akins Garcia while walking to the 18th tee during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National. Michael Madrid, Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports